General Mills defies corporate trend with art collection
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- Legend has it that in 1958, when General Mills moved into its new headquarters, Charlie Bell, who was then the company's president, took a look around and said, "It's too gray in here. We've got to do something to enliven this building."

The composer and director behind the new 'Nine'
NEW YORK -- One is an owlish imp, a professorial composer who is never at a loss for words. But then neither is the articulate, tousle-haired British director whose striking good looks should have put him on stage rather than directing for it.

New wildlife CD features frog mating calls
ALBANY, Ga. -- The retching sound of the Eastern Spadefoot Toad and the monotonous jug o'rum call of the bullfrog are featured on a new CD devoted to the romantic bellowing of frogs.

Bush administration faces "litmus test" on Chinese textile dilemma
WASHINGTON -- Over the next several months, the Bush administration could send its strongest signal yet about how it plans to handle conflicts between the struggling American textile industry and China, which it is trying to appease as a new favored trading partner.

Commissioners help each other
It's said that two things are certain in life: death and taxes. Augusta Commissioner and local mortician Willie Mays has the fortune (good or bad, we don't know) of working with both.

LSU lineman anchors team
There's no "I" in team, but there is in birthday. No one knows that better than Louisiana State offensive guard Stephen Peterman, who might have to play hooky for the Tigers' season opener against Louisiana-Monroe on Aug. 30.

Maryland hopes to reach the top
Maryland has long been the sleeping giant of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Now it seems a giant of a man has awakened the beast of the mid-east.

Man-made floods
The long, hot three-year drought was bad for farm produce, lawns, gardens, air quality and more - but at least it kept flooding problems at bay. But since the rains returned this year, so have the floods.

Unintended flag flap
Ordinances sometimes have unintended consequences. That appears to be the case regarding the great flag flap in Columbia County.

Do it anyway
Looking for some good news? Then check out Georgia Environmental Protection Division's report that Augusta's air quality has improved enough that the city may not have to be listed as a nonattainment area under the federal Clean Air Act.

How excusable is this?
This country has given lip service to raising educational standards for many years. Suddenly, the No Child Left Behind Act is calling our bluff.

Order in the court
We don't believe a monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Alabama state judicial building violates the Constitution or the law.

More investors turning to stodgy cyclical stocks
NEW YORK -- After sending tech stocks surging in recent months, Wall Street is now placing bets on a much stodgier investment: a batch of material, construction and industrial stocks known as cyclicals.

Stocks or bonds? Balanced funds offer some of both
NEW YORK - Investors unnerved by recent volatility in the stock and bond markets are no doubt torn about where to invest. They might consider a kind of mutual fund, called a balanced fund, that invests in both stocks and bonds.

Layoff casualties take what they can get
SUDBURY, Mass. -- Tom Calderini used to supervise three teams of software programmers spread across two states and an office overseas, but that job never tested his "people skills" quite like this.

Around the horn
D.J. Hanson of the Charleston (W.Va.) AlleyCats struck out 14 batters in seven innings in a win over the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs in Game 2 of a doubleheader Tuesday. Hanson is ninth in the SAL with a 2.98 ERA and has struck out 94 batters in 117 2/3 innings.

Opportunity awaits surprise leaders
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The PGA Championship was supposed to be the last chance for Tiger Woods to win a major. It turned into a great opportunity for two guys who have never even contended in one.

Leave Lake Thurmond the way it is
We read with great dismay the text of the proposed Savannah River Lakes Private Land Ownership Restoration Act. The concept of "privatization" in this instance is nothing more than another attempt to commercialize our pristine Lake Thurmond shoreline.
Lawrence and Janet Russo, McCormick, S.C.

Local media losing touch with audience
While one cannot run a business without revenue, sometimes the amount of income generated is not as important as the quality of service rendered. However, this principle was apparently lost on those who chose to make a change in the format at WBBQ.
E.G. Yrizarry, Grovetown, Ga.

Columbia County's action may ruin commercial pet crematory
I am the owner of Paradise Pet Cemetery and Crematory. I have been doing cremations for the Central Savannah River Area for the past 15 years, and I have worked hard to create a dignified compassionate business. I am now facing losing my cremation business due to the invasion of private enterprise by the Columbia County Animal Control.
Richard Lord, Augusta

Let's recall Bush while we're at it
Since we don't have a parliamentary system and California is having a recall, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could also recall the appointment of President George W. Bush by the Supreme Court, have new elections and put an end to the present administration?Joaquin Godoy, Aiken, S.C.

Let's attend chamber's gospel breakfast
I applaud Ed Presnell, James Kendrick and the new leadership at the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. How clever - a Gospel Breakfast at Julian Smith Casino this Thursday at 7:15 a.m., with a "We would like to get to know you" theme. It is open to the community for a nominal cost. Area church Praise Teams will sing some old-time gospel music while you enjoy a great breakfast.
Woody Merry, Augusta

Clinton's lies didn't kill; Bush's do
Every Memorial Day we pause to remember those brave men and women who gave their lives in military service for our nation. This is a wonderful time of thanks and remembrance; however, the real tragedy is that many of those brave heroes died because our nation's leaders lied to us and sent them into unnecessary military conflicts.
Paul L. Cook, Augusta

Disposable digital camera shoots but doesn't score
Since the arrival of digital cameras, photographers have had to choose between the convenience of the high-tech gadgets, the superior quality of traditional film cameras or the low cost and simplicity of single-use film disposables.

In the know
Have you forgotten what Dad looks like because he spends so much time at the office? Does your wife take on more an more work with a smile?

Do not change party over feuding friends
Dear Carson: I have two friends who do not like each other. They had an argument, and I think they each were a little wrong and a little right. No middle ground has been reached, and they each expect me to side with them. In late summer I am having an alfresco party, and the guest list includes about 50 friends. Each of them would rather I did not invite the other, but one friend absolutely refuses to attend if I invite my other friend. What should I do? - Hard Choices

Home front
Sherwin-Williams has come up with an interior paint the company says is virtually odorless.

Democrats seek Hollings' seat in Senate
The Democratic Party jumped into the race to replace U.S. Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings this week, with state Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum and Columbia Mayor Bob Coble announcing their candidacies.

Ballet dancer missing off coast
The Coast Guard will continue its search today for a member of the Augusta Ballet company who disappeared Saturday afternoon while swimming off Harbor Island in South Carolina.

Democratic party aims to reclaim control
Area Democrats are stepping up their efforts to regain a political foothold after many key positions were lost to Republicans in several of last year's general election races.

DeKalb man denies beating stepson to death
ATLANTA -- A DeKalb County man accused of fatally beating his 2-year-old stepson denied Saturday that he abused him, claiming the boy died of injuries from a playground accident.

Doctor's job goes beyond bodies
Among the many autopsies Daniel K. Brown has performed as medical examiner for the Augusta crime lab, there are cases - because of the sight and the manner of death - that take a toll on his emotions.

Poultry waste remains state issue
ATLANTA - By the late 1990s, Linda Burkhalter had stopped visiting the property her family owns along the Canoochee River in Evans County, four miles downstream from a poultry plant.

Lack of funds delays road projects
If the city doesn't get started with road projects already on the books, the price will continue to escalate, straining the already lean coffers and possibly jeopardizing some of the planned work.

Standards tougher in S.Carolina
AIKEN - Under the harsh light of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, South Carolina public schools will look far worse than schools in other states because the Palmetto State has the third-toughest set of test standards in the nation, state education officials and local educators say.

Rants and Raves
I AGREE WITH the person who said WBBQ is wrong to let Rebecca and John go. They have been an important part of my morning. I love waking up to their show and I really am going to miss them. I believe WBBQ is making a serious mistake, and I wish they would reconsider and bring them back.

Across the southeast
TAMPA, Fla. -Explorers say they have found the sunken remains of an 1860s steamer that could yield the richest cargo ever recovered from a shipwreck: thousands of gold coins worth as much as $180 million.

GOP, Dems girding for next battle for legislative control
ATLANTA -- Keeping control of the state Legislature was one small ray of hope for battered Democrats last year in an electoral disaster that cost them the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat. But even that comfort was short lived.

Across Georgia
ATLANTA -A DeKalb County man accused of fatally beating his 2-year-old stepson denied Saturday that he abused him, claiming the boy died of injuries from a playground accident.

Myrtle Beach man part of Iraq judgment
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Jeff Fox felt vindicated last month when a judge awarded him and 16 other Gulf War veterans $959 million in damages after they were tortured by Iraqi captors.

Aiken's elections have few hopefuls
AIKEN - On a warm summer evening around dusk, when the magnolias on Whiskey Road are in full bloom and the Aiken Civic Ballet Co. is set to give a free performance on the Hopelands Garden stage, it's easy to see why no one is challenging Mayor Fred Cavanaugh for his seat.

Budget crisis boosts tuition
AIKEN - To meet the demands of a busy life with a high school senior and a college junior, Brenda and Barry Buchanan say they "walk in faith," praying they can provide for their children without busting the household budget.

Kid of the day
Today's kid of the day is 7-month-old Joshua James Caldwell.

Officials cite flaws in law enforcement agencies
AIKEN - The case of Raymond Stevens Jr. perfectly illustrates the troubling disconnect between prosecutors, law enforcement agencies and judges in different counties, South Carolina's criminal justice officials say.

Official details summit's security
BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Security measures for Sea Island residents will be strict for next year's G-8 summit, but not oppressive, an official said Friday.

Across the southeast
PILOT, N.C. -A modified Jeep racing on a mud-pit course crashed through a fence into a crowd at a small-town track, killing a woman and injuring 20 other people, including her daughter, the sheriff said Sunday.

News you can use
AUG. 18, 1938
Lester Moody, veteran Chamber of Commerce secretary, was elected general chairman yesterday of the citywide organization formed at a mass meeting of representatives of nearly all Augusta organizations to arouse interest in the Sept. 9 auditorium bond election.

Teen to stand trial as adult in slaying
COLUMBUS, Ga. - An eighth-grader was bound over to Superior Court on Friday to be tried as an adult in the shooting death of a high-school freshman slain after a crowd of pupils gathered for an after-school fight.

Across South Carolina
GREENVILLE -Severe storms brought winds up to 70 mph into the Upstate on Saturday, damaging several planes at the downtown Greenville airport and leaving more than 2,600 people without power.

Rants and Raves
I AGREE WITH the person who said WBBQ is wrong to let Rebecca and John go. They have been an important part of my morning. I love waking up to their show and I really am going to miss them. I believe WBBQ is making a serious mistake, and I wish they would reconsider and bring them back.

Vick's injury could've been prevented
Such a waste. And for nothing. With 4:20 remaining in the first quarter of a meaningless preseason football game, the most marketable commodity in the most popular sport in America lay in pain on the artificial turf of the Georgia Dome.

Five Questions With Pat Monahan
Train's songs tend to stick around for a while, as the San Francisco rock band learned from ubiquitous singles "Meet Virginia" and Grammy-winning "Drops of Jupiter."

Top 20 Concert Tours
The Top 20 Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows in North America. The previous week's ranking is in parentheses. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.

At 77, Stan Freberg still hasn't tired of satirizing America
LOS ANGELES -- Stan Freberg was speaking to a group of seminary students when the father of the funny commercial, inventor of the modern comedy album and co-creator of the beloved 1950s kids show "Time for Beany and Cecil" had his audience doubled over in laughter.

MAP-ing a new course for South Carolina
THE LARGEST government-restructuring effort in decades is underway in South Carolina. Modeled after former President Ronald Reagan's Grace Commission, Gov.Mark Sanford's Commission on Management, Accountability and Performance was formed June 17. Fourteen commissioners and more than 250 task force-members from the private sector, state government and the General Assembly are probing the way South Carolina does business.

MAP-ing a new course for South Carolina
THE LARGEST government-restructuring effort in decades is underway in South Carolina. Modeled after former President Ronald Reagan's Grace Commission, Gov.Mark Sanford's Commission on Management, Accountability and Performance was formed June 17. Fourteen commissioners and more than 250 task force-members from the private sector, state government and the General Assembly are probing the way South Carolina does business.

Overtime
Nine South Carolina athletes have tested positive for drugs between January and July, the school says.

Overtime
In Pilot, N.C., a mud-racing Jeep crashed through a chain-link fence into a crowd of spectators, killing one woman and injuring her daughter and 19 others.

Roddick rallies to win set, match from Mirnyi
MASON, Ohio -- Seventh-seeded Andy Roddick scored the final six points to win the tiebreaker in the first set and then beat Max Mirnyi 6-4 in the second set on Saturday to advance to the finals of the Cincinnati Masters.

Trail will undergo extensive redesign
Two centuries ago, famed naturalist William Bartram traveled extensively along the Savannah River above Augusta and recorded his observations for posterity.

Georgia's frogs debut on new CD
Walt Knapp is Georgia's newest recording artist - and he owes it all to frogs. Their soothing peeps, chirps, grunts, croaks and other varied sounds are music to Knapp's ears - and fodder for his new CD.

Team rallies behind backup
ATLANTA - The day after Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick broke his right leg, the talk across town was filled with mixed emotions.

Falcon's notebook
ATLANTA - If the Falcons are going to fulfill their goal of making the Super Bowl this season, the ride will begin on the arm of Doug Johnson - not the legs of Michael Vick.

Falcons' Vick suffers injury
ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick fractured his right fibula Saturday night during an exhibition game against Baltimore, and a team source told The Associated Press the quarterback will be sidelined at least six weeks.